Spatial Distance between Parents and Adult Children in the United States

PWP-CCPR-2018-009

Abstract

Objective: This brief report presents contemporary national estimates of the spatial distance between residences of parents and adult children in the United States, including distances to nearest and to all such kin.

Background: The most recent national estimates of family spatial proximity come from data for the early 1990s. Moreover, research has rarely assessed full-family spatial clustering.

 Method: Data are from the 2013 Panel Study of Income Dynamics on residential locations of adults 25 and older and each of their parents and adult children. Two measures of spatial proximity are estimated: distance to nearest parent or adult child, and the share of adults who have all such kin living nearby. Sociodemographic and geographic differences are examined for both measures.

 Results: Among adults with at least one living parent or adult child, a significant majority (75%) have their nearest such kin within 30 miles, while a minority (36%) have all such kin living that close. Spatial proximity differs substantially among sociodemographic groups, with those who are disadvantaged more likely to have kin nearby. In most cases, sociodemographic disparities are much higher when spatial proximity is measured by proximity to all kin instead of nearest kin.

 Conclusion: Disparities in having all kin nearby may be a result of family solidarity and also may affect family solidarity. This report sets the stage for new investigations of the spatial dimension of family cohesion.